The Stars and The Sea

Chapter 16

Following their conversation, the pair decided getting some actual sleep would help them both. With the assurance that Ocean wouldn't lead them off course, Moana laid out a mat on the deck and brought a blanket out for both of them to share.

Keoni remained upright for the sake of his shoulder, and Moana lay down next to him, facing east where the sun would rise.

Though getting comfortable proved to be a bit of a challenge at first, they eventually drifted off to sleep, soothed by the gentle rocking of the waves and the sound of the occasional breeze against the mast. Their rest went by fast, but both woke rejuvenated.

Moana actually found herself resting on Keoni's lap when she opened her eyes, her head nestled comfortably on his thighs. He was already awake when she woke up, and he had a small smile on his face. She felt her cheeks warm as she hurriedly sat up.

"H-how long was I laying there?" He half-shrugged.

"Dunno, I realized there was some weight on me, and when I woke up, there you were. I did have to shift you 'cause your elbow was digging into my hip," Moana blushed even more, "You have sharp elbows." He added with a laugh. Still bashful, Moana couldn't help but laugh at the tease as well.

"Well, at least you're not aggressive when trying to move me." She remarked, which received an amused, yet perplexed raised brow from him, "When I was voyaging with my family and Maui would come around once in a while, Maui would sometimes scare me awake, or shove me." Another laugh from Keoni.

"Sounds like he's just being your brother,"

"What?"

"That's what siblings do, they annoy each other. Whether it's finding the most irritating way to wake them up, or play some dumb prank. And to me, Maui seems like your older brother." Huh, she never thought of it like that, but now that he'd mentioned it, his observation did hold truth to it.

Over the past two years, when he'd come around, Maui always kept Moana on her toes, keeping her grounded when she would get uppity about her chieftain duties. He made her laugh, he teased her, but never out of malice. She could turn to the demi-god about various problems that she didn't wish to discuss with her father, and Maui was always there to listen and give advice when he saw fit.

And, of course, Pania, her beloved cousin, was like a sister. So, in a way, Moana had two surrogate siblings of her own. The thought brought a smile to her face.

"Well, you'll be seeing a lot more of Maui when we get to Motunui."

"I'm sure of it."

The two chatted for a bit more about other topics, but then Moana decided she'd waited long enough and interrupted the current topic, saying it was time for Keoni to actually learn how to wayfind. Sure, she'd already taught him about the parts and functions of the canoe, but now it was time for the real nitty gritty. He was initially caught off guard by the change of topic, but he relented and agreed to let her teach him.

She began with the basics, discussing the cardinal directions. This was demonstrated by using visuals to show him how she charted the sky. The four directions were Akua, the north, Hema, the south, Hikina, the east, and Komohana, the west.

"For beginners, it's always the easiest to start with where the sun rises and sets. You know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west," Keoni nodded.

For the next few days, she went over navigation with the sky. First, she covered the stars, how their location within the compass guided navigation, then the sun and the moon, mainly determining the direction of where they rose and set, adding an extra layer of understanding of how open-sea navigation worked.